Girth connection for saddletrees.



J. F. SOHOELLKOPF. GIRTH CONNECTION FOR SADDLEI'REES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31, 1912.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

JACOB FREDERICK SCI-IOELLKOPF, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

GIRTH CONNECTION FOR SADDLETREES.

S pecification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. it, 1914..

Application filed October 31, 1912. Serial No. 728,837.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J ACOB FREDERICKSCHOELLKOIF, a citizen of the United States of America, and a residentof the city of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Girth Connections forSaddletrees, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to a connection device for attaching girth rings tosaddletrees, and it has for its object to furnish a device of this kindinto which the girth ring may be readily and quickly fitted, and also tofurnish means of a simple nature for retaining the ring in position inthe part that receives it, and by which said ring is so held as to avoidundesirable play, and at the same time permit such swinging movement ofthe ring as may be desirable.

Figure I is an elevation of a riding saddle equipped with my girthconnections. Fig. II is an enlarged perspective view of the girthconnection and the girth ring therein. Fig. III is an enlargedperspective view of the girth connection, the ring retaining memberbeing omitted. Fig. IV is an enlarged perspective view of the ringretaining member. Fig. V is an enlarged perspective view of the girthring. Fig. VI is an enlarged cross section taken on line VIVI, Fig. II.

In the drawings: A designates the tree of ariding saddle to which mygirth connections B are shown applied. The girth connections B comprisestrap arms 1, which may be secured by rivets, or other suitable means,to the saddletree B; and also comprise a trough shaped pocket member 2carried by said strap arm. The pocket member 2 is of such dimensions asto provide for the ring C that is used therein being snugly positionedbetween the front and back walls of the member, in order that there maybe no undue play between the ring and said walls. In the back wall ofthe pocket member 2 is an aperture 3, preferably in the form of a slot;and in the front wall of said member is a notch 4:, located oppositesaid aperture. In the front wall of the pocket member is also a screwhole 5 that is located beneath the notch 4;. The aperture 3, the notch4:, and the screw hole 5 are all located at approximately thelongitudinal center of the pocket member 2 and are, therefore, presentat a point midway of the length of the portion of the ring C, which isseated in the pocket member.

6 designates a ring retaining cup that spans the pocket member 2 of myconnection device by extending transversely thereof from its rear Wallto its front wall. This retaining clip is of such width as to fit withinthe notch 4 in the front wall of the pocket member, and occupy theaperture 3 in the back wall of the same member, the rear end of the clipbeing loosely fitted in said aperture, as most clearly seen in Fig. VI.The clip 6 is provided at its forward end with a downwardly extendingportion 7, corresponding to the contour of the front wall of the pocketmember 2, againstv which it is fitted, and said downwardly extendingportion is provided with a vertical slot 8 which receives a set screw 9,which enters the screw hole 5 in the front wall of the pocket member.

It will be seen that when a girth receiving ring, such as at O, is setinto the pocket member of my girth connection, and the retaining clip 6is applied to said pocket member in the manner described, said clip maybe properly adjusted so that it will bear against the ring, midway ofthe length of its portion, in the pocket member of the connection, tofirmly hold the ring in place while permitting such swinging movementthereof as it should partake of. The adjustable connection between theretaining clip and the pocket member furnished by the set screw 9 andthe slot 8 makes it possible for the clip to be securely held after theclip has been adjusted.

I prefer to utilize a covered ring C, of D-shape, such as that shown inthe drawings, and to omit the covering of the ring at a point crossed bythe retaining clip 6; as, by so doing, I expose the metal ring to theretaining clip and avoid wearing of the ring covering by the clip.Furthermore, a ring so made provides for the presence of stops furnishedby the covering, between which the retaining clip is positioned; and theclip is enabled to perform the office of holding the girth receivingring from play longitudinally of the pocket member of the girthconnection. 7

I claim 1. In a girth connection, a trough shaped pocket member for thereception of a girth i t i i i x i i 1 clip fitted in said aperture andspanning the space between said Walls, the said clip having a slottedextension fitting against the face of the second Wall of said pocketmember, and a set screw extending through said 15 slotted extension intosaid second Wall.

JACOB FREDERICK SCHOELLKOPF. In the presence of J. WV. SPAKE, G. A.NETTLETON.

Copies of thia patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatentfl. Washington, D. 0.

